Saudi woman arrested after challenging ban on women driving in kingdom

Saudi authorities arrested a female activist on Sunday who launched a campaign to challenge a ban on women driving in the kingdom and posted a video on the Internet of her driving, Reuters reported.

The YouTube video, posted on Thursday, has attracted more than 500,000 views and shows Manal Alsharif, who learned to drive in the United States, driving her car in Khobar in the oil-producing Eastern Province.

According to Reuters, an Eastern Province police spokesperson declined to comment and an interior ministry spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive and must have written approval from a designated guardian - a father, husband, brother or son - to leave the country, work or travel abroad.

The campaign Alsharif launched is aimed at teaching women to drive and encouraging them to start driving from June 17, using foreign-issued licenses.

While there is no written law that specifically bans women from driving, Saudi law requires citizens use a locally issued license while in the country. Such licenses are not issued to women, making it effectively illegal for them to drive.

"When the police stopped her they told her she violated the 'norms'. There is no law that says women can't drive in Saudi Arabia and this arrest is unjust. She is a role model for a lot of people and the arrest will provoke her supporters. Now more women want to drive," said Maha Taher, another female activist who launched her own campaign for women driving four months ago to spread awareness of the issue.